Farewell, Jessica
by See You Next Thursday
Summary: Jessica Wakefield has known Sweet Valley, California to be her home for as long as she can remember. But when her mother's long-lost cousin from Stoneybrook, Connecticut needs help with her ailing father, Jessica's parents decide to move there to help. Now Jessica must say goodbye to everyone & everything she holds dear. A Sweet Valley Twins/BSC fic.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's note: Hello, my Sweet Valley and Baby-Sitters Club fans! So several years back, I tried to write a crossover called_ ** _With Love, Ellen_** _, about a member of the Unicorn Club but it didn't exactly fare well. So that project is long abandoned. I used to read Sweet Valley Twins and the BSC books as a kid and always used to wish there were crossovers of the two series but could never find any. So here I go again, writing a new SVT/BSC crossover in the hopes it actually does well. Please review and let me know what you think! Thanks! And without any further ado, I give you..._

 **Farewell, Jessica**

Chapter 1

" **K** ids, I have an announcement," My mom told us at the dinner table. She was squeezing my father's hand.

My siblings and I all automatically stared at her belly. Usually, when parents start off with announcements and staring at each other, it usually means they're having a baby or something. I gulped nervously. I already have two siblings; I didn't think I was ready for another one!

I glanced briefly at my sister and brother. The two of them looked about as apprehensive as I did.

"Please tell us you're not having a baby!" My older brother exclaimed.

My mom chuckled. "No, no baby," she replied. My siblings and I all let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Well, what it is?" I asked, puzzled.

Mom quickly cleared her throat before she began talking. "Well, I got a letter from my cousin Sharon in the mail today. Her parents – my aunt and uncle – are falling on hard times. My uncle was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and his wife needs help caring for him and the house. My aunt is too old to do it alone and Sharon and her husband are doing what they can to help them but they need help themselves."

"Who's Sharon? How come we've never heard of her before? Why are you suddenly hearing from this woman now?" I questioned.

Mom only shrugged. "She's distant family. We were close as kids but lost touch when we were in college. I just now recently got back in touch with her when I got a call from your aunt Laura that Sharon's parents needed help."

"So…how exactly are you related to this woman?" My sister Elizabeth asked, nibbling a dinner roll.

"Well, your Grandma Marjorie and her sister – my aunt Rita – are half-sisters. They have different mothers but the same father. Aunt Rita was born in California and she lived in Sacramento for a little while. When her parents separated, her and her dad moved to Connecticut. She met her husband there and they had their daughter – my cousin Sharon."

I tapped my fingers impatiently on the kitchen table, my dinner long forgotten. I was curious as to what my mother's announcement was and what this story had to do with it. I had no clue who this Sharon lady was but I had a feeling my mom's announcement had something to do with her.

"I got word from my cousin Sharon that her father Charles – my uncle, who actually has the same name as _my_ dad, is too sick to care for himself. Aunt Rita is too old to care for him and Sharon already has enough on her plate as it is. She's already reached out to my sisters but none of them are able to help. I felt so bad for losing touch with her over the years so I told her I'd help her out."

"So…that's it? That's the announcement?" My older brother Steven asked. "I thought it was something…I don't know…more _interesting_ …"

Dad lightly nudged Mom a little, chiding her to continue. "Alice, tell them," he said, choosing to ignore Steven's rude remark.

I frowned. "Tell us what?" I asked, creasing my forehead with worry.

Mom cleared her throat again. "Well, after discussing it with your father, we decided to move to Connecticut to help Cousin Sharon out with whatever she needs."

My mouth flew open. "By _we_ , I hope you meant _you and Dad_ and you're going to ask an adult here in town to take care of us," I said.

"No. _We_ as in _all of us_. The entire Wakefield family. I already spoke to Sharon and she's happy to let us stay with her until we help her parents get back on their feet."

"And how long will _that_ be?" Steven asked glumly.

I shot a quick glance at my sister Elizabeth. She didn't say much but I could tell she wasn't thrilled about moving either.

"I'm not exactly sure, quite honestly. But I promised Sharon I would do whatever I could do to help her out. If you knew my cousin, then you'd understand why she needs help. Cousin Sharon, from what I remember, is very scatterbrained. She needs all the help she can get."

I frowned, folding my arms crossly. This wasn't fair! I was being forced to move three thousand miles across the country to live with distant relatives I had never heard of or even met! And Mom nor Dad had even thought to discuss it with us before deciding!

I didn't want to move. My entire life was here in Sweet Valley, the town I'd lived in since I was born. I couldn't see myself living anywhere else.

"Sharon has a daughter about you and your sister's age, Jess," Mom replied. "And a son, but he's three years younger than Sharon's daughter. He doesn't live with them. Plus, Sharon told me she got remarried and her new husband has a daughter the same age as Sharon's daughter."

I could tell Mom was telling us this to lighten the blow of practically forcing us to move but I didn't care. _More strangers_ , I thought, rolling my eyes.

"But what about your jobs? How are you going to make money if we move?" Elizabeth asked.

"Well, my job as an interior decorator is pretty flexible since I own my own company now. And your father has already found a law firm that will take him in once we arrive. It's all going to work out."

Steven scowled. "Not for us because we're going to lose our friends, change schools and leave our house."

"Yeah. How's that going to work out for _us?_ " I chimed in.

Mom scowled at us kids. "Enough," she snapped irritably. "Don't be selfish. I told you, I agreed to help my cousin and my uncle. They need help and I offered. Now, we're going and that's final."

I slumped in my seat and folded my arms, scowling at the floor.

Elizabeth cleared her throat. "Since it's clear we don't have any say in the matter, where exactly are we moving to?" she asked.

"Stoneybrook, Connecticut," Mom answered. "It's a small but quaint town near Stamford. I used to spend time there when I was a little girl but it's been years since I was last there."

"So…when do we leave?" I asked, frowning.

"Next Sunday. Your father and I are still looking at houses in Stoneybrook but Cousin Sharon is allowing us to stay with her and her family until we find a house."

"Finding a house? You mean…this move is permanent?" Steven asked in alarm.

"Alzheimer's is not a disease that you just bounce back from, Steven. It can take a toll on everyone involved, including the one with the disease. Alzheimer's doesn't just go away like the flu. It can be burdening and overwhelming on the caretaker. When I said I wanted to help, I meant it. It's just not right to leave Sharon to take care of her dad alone. She and Aunt Rita refuse to put him a nursing home."

"So you're saying you want to be close by if anything happens or if you're needed?" Elizabeth asked.

Mom nodded.

It was Elizabeth's turn to nod. "So when do we start packing?" She asked dejectedly.

"Well, we already sold the house and we've already arranged for moving trucks to put our things into storage until we find a house to buy in Stoneybrook, which shouldn't really take that long. We'll be staying with Cousin Sharon and her family until we get ourselves back on our feet," Mom replied.

"We're going to be _homeless_?!" I exclaimed, mortified. I could just hear all of my friends, including Lila Fowler, gossiping about me and mocking me about having no home. I would be the laughingstock of my entire school if anyone found out.

"No, we won't be homeless, Jessica," Dad answered. "We won't be staying with your mother's cousin's family very long. I think the average we'll be staying will be a week and a half."

"What are we going to do about school? What about all our things?" Steven asked.

"Ah, good question, son," Dad said. "Your mother's cousin's daughter and stepdaughter both go to the same school in the town and there are a few people she knows that attend the local high school but there are other schools there we can look into."

Steven sighed and slumped into his seat, frowning. "I guess this means I can't go to the big basketball game next Monday. Our team is on a winning streak this year."

He then pushed his plate away from him and stood up from the table. "If you'll excuse me, I'm not very hungry. Can I be excused?"

"No dessert?" Mom asked, frowning.

"No."

"But there's apple p_"

"I said I'm not hungry. Now can I be excused, please?" Steven asked tersely.

Mom nodded grimly. "Of course, Steven."

With that, Steven left the kitchen, stomping his feet as he went.

Mom turned to us. "Girls, how are _you_ feeling about this? I know it's sudden but _"

"You have to help your cousin. We _know_ ," I said rudely. I then rose from the table, my face red with anger. "But you know, it would've been a lot better if you had talked to _us_ first before making plans! Thanks a _lot_!"

I then ran straight to my room, slamming the door behind me.

 _I'm leaving the greatest place in the whole world,_ I thought glumly as I lay on my bed. _My life is ruined._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 **S** o before I get too far into this tale of woe is me, let me introduce myself. My name is Jessica Samantha Wakefield. I live in Sweet Valley, California, a small town near Los Angeles with my parents, Ned and Alice, my big brother Steven and my identical twin sister Elizabeth. My dad is a lawyer and my mom is an interior decorator. My parents are both successful in their work but we're not super rich, like my best friend, Lila Fowler is. We're a pretty well-to-do family (although sometimes, I _wish_ we were rich).

I'm a thirteen-year old girl of average height, slim with tanned skin, long blonde hair and a dimple in my right cheek. I'm a seventh grader at Sweet Valley Middle School along with my sister.

My older brother is three years older than me and my sister. He goes to Sweet Valley High and plays on the basketball team there. Steven teases us a lot (more so me than he does Elizabeth) and he can be super obnoxious. He also eats like a pig.

As for Elizabeth and me, like I mentioned before, we're identical twins – we look exactly the same; even straight down to the dimple. But that's where our similarities end. Although we _look_ the same, we're _very_ different. For starters, Elizabeth loves reading and writing. I _hate_ reading and writing (well, I guess that's not _entirely_ true. I only like to read fashion and music magazines and sometimes, the advice columns in the paper. I just hate reading school-related stuff). I'm more into fashion, makeup, cute boys and gossip.

Elizabeth is much more studious than I am, meaning she's much more focused into her schoolwork than me. I, on the other hand, am a member of the Unicorn Club, a club composed of the most popular and prettiest girls at my school. I'm also a member of the Boosters, the school's cheerleading squad. Elizabeth _was_ a writer for the _Sixers,_ the school's sixth grade newspaper but since transferring to the seventh grade, my sister has found another hobby to occupy her time and that's the Angel Club. The Angels are composed of her and a few of her best friends. I consider them a copy of the Unicorns but Elizabeth disagrees because she thinks of our club as snobby and shallow.

But despite our differences, I still consider Elizabeth to be my very bestest friend. She's dependable and reliable. I feel like I can tell her anything and know she'll never let me down (although I know I've sometimes let _her_ down). She was born four minutes before me so she acts like an older sister to me. It can get annoying sometimes but deep down, I know she only acts that way because she cares deeply about me. She always has my back and I have hers.

As I sat on my bed in complete shock over what was to come of my life, there was a knock on my door.

I knew it was my sister. Don't ask me how I knew…I just knew.

"Come in, Lizzie," I said.

The door opened and my sister's head popped inside. "How'd you know it was me?" she asked, giving me a half-smile.

I only shrugged impassively.

Elizabeth sat next to me on my bed and rested her head on my shoulder. "This moving thing really bites," she remarked.

I gave my sister an incredulous look. " _You?!_ You didn't seem upset downstairs," I pointed out.

"Well, there's no point in arguing about it, Jess. Mom and Dad have already made up their minds about it. We're kids; we have to go along with whatever they decide. Plus, Mom's uncle is sick. I don't know too much about Alzheimer's but I heard it's a horrible illness to have. It's like having amnesia but a million times worse – you forget basic things like how to eat or your name or where you live. And there's no cure."

"No _cure_?" I asked in shock. I couldn't bear to imagine how living with no memory of yourself or the people around you could be and _never_ getting better.

"No, not yet. So I can understand why Mom's cousin would probably need help. I think helping care for a person with Alzheimer's can be really overwhelming."

I groaned. I hated when my sister made me feel bad about something. I didn't want to move – my whole life was in Sweet Valley but I also understood Mom had a family member that was in desperate need of help. I thought back to all the jams I always seemed to get myself into and how Elizabeth and sometimes, even Steven, would help me get out of.

"Ugh…why do you always have to be so _right_ all the time?" I asked my sister, scowling.

Elizabeth only shrugged. "I'm not _trying_ to be right, Jess," she clarified. "It's just the right thing to do."

I sighed, nodding sadly. "But it's still so sad…we're literally leaving our whole life in about a week. Our lives are going to change."

Elizabeth nodded her agreement. "That's true. But we'll be OK. Mom said this new town won't be all that bad."

"I don't think I can adjust to Connecticut life. It _snows_ there!" I exclaimed dramatically.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "So then wear a jacket," she teased.

" _Lizzie_!" I exclaimed, twisting my face to show I wasn't amused.

"Jessica, we'll be alright. I don't want to move either. Believe me, I don't. But I'm also not afraid of change either. Yes, I'll miss Sweet Valley and all our friends and all the places here. But I'm sure Mom and Dad will let us visit here from time to time and everyone and everything we know and love will still be here. Everything will be OK."

Something about my sister's words actually comforted me. Maybe she was right…maybe I was overreacting a little. Maybe moving wouldn't be so bad.

"Lizzie, I'm just scared," I said in a small, shaky voice. A tear rolled down my cheek. "Just like you said, everyone and everything we love, is here. I'm afraid of losing it."

Elizabeth then wrapped me up in a hug. "Jess," she replied soothingly. "It doesn't matter where we go, Sweet Valley will always be a part of us. And no matter we where are, we'll take a part of Sweet Valley with us in our hearts."

I gave my sister a quivery smile. My sister always knows what to say to make me feel better.


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: **CNJ:** You're right about Jessica not being afraid of meeting new people and trying new things but in this story she's afraid of the unknown because she doesn't know a thing about Stoneybrook. And I'm looking forward to the SVH/BSC crossover. That should be awesome! Glad you're enjoying my story so far! Thanks for the reviews!_

* * *

Chapter 3

" **W** hattttt?!" A voice shrieked to me over the phone.

The voice belonged to Lila Fowler, my best friend. I was on the telephone with her, sitting in the living room. I had just told her the bad news of me moving.

"I said I'm mov_" I began

"I _know_ what you said… I just can't _believe_ it. You're _really_ leaving? Wow, Jessica...I don't know what else to say."

"What is there _to_ say? What am I going to do in _Connecticut_ , Lila?" I asked, moaning.

"Doesn't it snow there?" Lila asked.

"You absolutely read my mind! That's the same thing I said to Elizabeth!" I exclaimed.

"Get a jacket then," Lila remarked, snickering.

"Not funny," I said dryly.

"OK, OK…where did you say you guys are moving to again? Stone Lake or something?" Lila asked.

"Stoneybrook," I corrected her. _Even the town's name seems dorky_ , I thought. "Why? Are you planning to go in my place?"

"No way! I'm not giving up my room or my house for _anything_! There's just absolutely _no way_!"

Lila lives in one of the biggest mansions in town with her dad and he spoils her like crazy because she's an only child of a divorced couple.

"Your mom must have _**the** _biggest heart in the universe to give up so much, Jess. I mean, you're leaving sunny California to live in drab Connecticut. That alone is _so_ sacrificing. Well, see you in school tomorrow…you _are_ coming to school, right?"

"Yeah, of course," I said.

"Good. Well, I gotta go. I have to call the other Unicorns. I'll see you at school tomorrow, okay?"

"Um, yeah. Tomorrow," I replied.

"Sounds great. See ya then!"

And with that, Lila hung up

I wondered what Lila could possibly have up her sleeve.

* * *

The next day at school, I was sure to find out. It was Tuesday morning. I did my usual morning routine: Got up, showered, dressed, did my makeup, ate breakfast, brushed my teeth and hair and rode my bike to school.

On this particular day, Dad drove to work, Mom stayed home, Steven walked with his friends to school and some of Elizabeth's friends in the Angels came by with their bikes, so she rode with them to school.

As for me, none of my Unicorn friends came over which didn't surprise me because I figured Lila had told them all I was moving so they'd want to give me a surprise gift or something.

When I arrived to homeroom, every one of my classmates stared at me but nobody said anything to me. It was weird.

I spotted Lila and Ellen Riteman, a close friend of mine in the Unicorn Club, sitting in the back. Ellen motioned for me to sit with them.

"Hey, Jess," she greeted me, giving me a sad smile.

"Hey, guys," I said. "So…based on the way everyone's looking at me, I assume everyone knows I'm leaving soon?"

"Well, you know how gossip spreads in this school," Lila replied.

"Let me guess – Caroline?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ellen and Lila nodded.

I rolled my eyes. Caroline Pierce is the biggest gossip in Sweet Valley Middle School. Maybe the world. Or maybe even the universe.

"Ugh. Doesn't that girl have a _life_?" I remarked annoyingly. "Trust _her_ to blab my business to the entire school."

I slung my bag behind my seat and plopped into it, putting my hands on my cheeks, sulking.

"So, word is you're moving to Connecticut, right?" Ellen asked. "That's, like, really far away."

"Yeah, I _know_ that, Ellen," I replied irritably (Ellen is great but she can be kind of dense sometimes.).

"I actually have a friend from Connecticut," Ellen continued. "We started out as pen pals back when I was in the second grade at Sweet Valley Elementary. She lives in Bridgeport and her name is Funny Hawthorne. We've hung out from time to time over the years…are you moving to Bridgeport, Jess?"

"No. Some town called Stoneybrook. My mom used to go there as a kid or something and her cousin lives there," I said.

"It must _really_ be small because I've never even heard of it," Lila replied. "I bet it's like one of those boring little hick towns."

I rolled my eyes. Here came Lila already starting to make fun of me at my expense.

Ellen shrugged. "Connecticut really isn't _that_ bad. I mean, sure, it's not warm all the time like California and there's not as many beaches but _"

"OK, I think that's enough of _that_ ," I snapped irritably, cutting Ellen off. I didn't particularly want to hear that I'd be moving to a place where it would be cold and have a lack of beaches.

"I'd like to just get through the day where I _don't_ have to keep being reminded I'm moving," I said.

No such luck. In my English class, Bruce Patman loudly informed the class I would be moving to 'the sticks', as he called it, which made all the other kids laugh. In social studies, I was asked by a girl I didn't know if she could replace me in the Unicorns and the Boosters. I wasn't sure if she was serious or if she was just making fun of me.

At lunch, as I made my way over to eat with my friends, I spotted Elizabeth sitting with her friends.

"Lizzie, has anybody been giving you a hard time about this moving thing?" I asked.

"Only a few," she said , shrugging her shoulders. "Why, has anybody given _you_ a hard time?"

"Probably the whole school!" I replied.

"Well, to be fair, Jessica, you're more popular than we are. Of course, nobody's going to care about Elizabeth," Amy Sutton, Elizabeth's best friend, piped up.

"That's not true!" I exclaimed. "Lizzie is _soooooooo_ popular!"

"Yeah, only because the whole school knows we're twins. I've accepted it, Jess. I really don't care about popularity. Now, go eat with your friends – I'm sure you'll be discussing something much more interesting than what _we're_ discussing. I'll see you later," Elizabeth said, a little crabbily.

I could tell my sister wanted me to leave so she could talk privately with her friends so I walked away to sit at the Unicorner with my Unicorn friends.

But lunch with them was _so_ awkward. When I arrived, everyone clammed up and stopped talking. It was the weirdest, most awkward time the Unicorns have ever had. We literally ate our food in silence.

I wasn't sure _what_ was going on. But I knew _something_ was up with them.

* * *

When I got home, I noticed Mom had already had a few boxes in the living room and was neatly packing stuff from there inside of them. She handed me some boxes, a Sharpie and some duct tape and instructed me to my room to start packing my stuff. "It'll be Sunday before you know it," she replied. "The movers will be here Friday."

So I trudged upstairs and began the sad task of packing my entire life into boxes. Steven and Elizabeth were already hard at work, putting things into boxes.

I put clothes, shoes, accessories and mementos into boxes. I labeled my cartons and put them in the corner near my bed. Afterwards, I went downstairs to join the family for dinner. The kitchen was a legit mess because Mom had moving boxes and kitchen stuff everywhere.

"I didn't have time to cook so I'm calling for something to be delivered. Now, it was Steven's turn last time and we had pizza. It's Jessica's turn to pick…Jess?" Mom said, turning to me.

"Can we have Chinese?" I asked, perking up. I absolutely _love_ Chinese food!

"Chinese food it is!" Mom exclaimed, beaming. "Can you and your sister set the table, please? And Steven, perhaps you could help them get the dishes and utensils I'm not packing yet?"

So the three of us set the table.

"So…are the Angels planning anything on your official last day at school this Friday?" I asked Elizabeth curiously.

Elizabeth shrugged. "To be honest, I don't know. Why?"

It was my turn to shrug. "Just wondering," I said. I didn't want to admit I suspected the Unicorns were planning something special for me.

"Well, even if I knew they were, that's top secret Angel business – _not_ Unicorn business," Elizabeth said somewhat snootily. "It's not like an Angel to snitch or rat on each other."

I chose not to answer. I simply rolled my eyes and finished setting the table. Of course my sister and her goody-goody club wouldn't give any deets about anything they were doing.

 _Friday can't get here fast enough,_ I thought miserably.


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note:_

 _ **Patty:** Yes; Dawn, Jeff, Steven, Elizabeth and Jessica are all long-lost half-second cousins in this story. As for Mary Anne, she's Alice's half-step-cousin and the Wakefield kids' half-step-second cousin (if there is such a thing)._

 _ **CNJ** :Thanks for all your encouraging feedback! I can't until I get to the point in the story where I can finally crossover the Sweet Valley and BSC characters. To be honest, I had been thinking about making Jessica be friends with Stacey and Claudia but that probably would be a little clichè. I don't want Jessica to be too mean to Dawn and Mary Anne - they are part of her family, after all. Again, thanks for your great feedback! Means a lot!_

* * *

Chapter 4

 **T** he last two days were literally a whirlwind. Wednesday and Thursday were spent packing and making travel arrangements and setting up a schedule for the movers.

Because I was leaving Sweet Valley in the next few days, my teachers had not given me or Elizabeth any homework. Which satisfied me but then it meant I had more time to continue packing up my room, which I obviously did not want to do.

By this time, my room was completely empty except for my bed and drawers. Everything else was packed into boxes. The movers were coming in the afternoon to take all of our stuff away. It was now Friday and it was officially my last day of school at Sweet Valley Middle School. After I completed my usual morning routine, Elizabeth and I made our way to school.

I nearly cried looking at my soon-to-be former school when we arrived. Suddenly, all the memories of my time at SVMS came rushing through my brain like a tidal wave.

"Jess, would you pull yourself together?" Elizabeth begged, waving her hand in front of my face.

I blinked. "Sorry, Lizzie," I apologized. "But look…this is actually our last full day of school here. We're never going to see it again."

Elizabeth shook her head in disagreement. "Well, I wouldn't say we'll never _see_ it again but I do have to admit it's kind of sad knowing we're not going to be students here anymore."

I nodded sadly.

The two of us locked our bikes up and made our way to our homeroom.

I sat with my fellow Unicorns while my sister sat with her fellow Angels.

"Hey, Jessica," Charlie Cashman, one of the trouble-makers at SVMS, called. "I hear today's your last day – any last words before you head for the sticks?" He taunted, snickering. He high-fived Bruce Patman and Jerry McAllister, another troublemaker in the school.

"Oh, zip it, Cashman," Lila snapped crossly. "Quit being so immature."

And before Charlie could make a remark at Lila, the intercom buzzed, signifying our morning announcements. I usually barely paid attention to morning announcements instead using the time to cram a few skipped homework questions or gossiping with friends. Today was no different until the last second announcement made me turn my head toward the intercom.

"And let's give our best regards to Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield, students. Today is their last day here at Sweet Valley Middle School. Best of luck with your education, girls and thank you for being here at SVMS."

With that, the announcements were over. The classroom only stared at Elizabeth and me until somebody started applauding. I looked for the source of the applause and saw Amy Sutton literally give a standing ovation. I stared dumbfounded at her when suddenly, other students followed suit.

I shook my head, looking at Elizabeth in disbelief as if to say _Is this really happening?_

My sister only shrugged and stood up to take a bow, giggling. She motioned for me to do the same so I did.

 _When in Rome, do as the Romans do,_ I thought, smiling at all my classmates, taking a bow.

* * *

I arrived home by myself. Elizabeth and Steven were out with friends and Dad was making arrangements at the moving company to pick up the trucks. Mom was the only one home. By this time, most of our stuff was already gone.

All day at school, none of my fellow Unicorns really talked to me that much, which made me feel pretty left out. I had thought for _sure_ my friends would have surprised me with _something_ seeing as I would be gone soon.

I left my bike in the garage and trudged moodily into the house. My mom was on the phone. I wasn't paying any attention to her conversation until she mentioned that Sharon lady's name.

"Oh, I hope Uncle Charlie remembers me, Sharon. I know it's been _years_ since he's last seen me. How old was I then? About nine?"

She then laughed. "Uncle Charlie used to call me 'Wonder' because of _Alice in Wonderland_. Your father was a hoot! I miss him."

She then sighed. "I really do hope he remembers me. I – Oh, wait a second, Sharon. One of my daughters just walked in."

She got off the phone and put her hand over the phone. "Jess, you're wanted upstairs in your room," she told me, smiling mischievously.

I gave my mother a suspicious look. "Who is it?" I asked. "Is it a trick?"

Mom only grinned at me. "Just go upstairs," she told me.

I set my backpack on the counter and walked cautiously to my room. When I got to the door, I opened it.

And to my surprise, there stood all of my Unicorn friends inside my empty room, holding up purple balloons and throwing purple confetti at me as I entered the room.

"SURPRISE!" They cheered.

Lila put a purple sash around my neck that read 'Miss Unicorn' on it.

My mouth flew open in shock and surprise as I stared at all of my friends. There were even former Unicorns there, including Janet Howell, the club's former president, standing in my room.

Tears sprang to my eyes. I couldn't believe my friends had pulled planning a surprise party for me off! That explained why everyone had been acting so weird!

"How did…when did you…you _guys_!" I cried, full on sobbing now. I couldn't find the words to say how truly touched I felt.

"For the first time _ever_ , Jessica Wakefield is speechless. Better mark this in your calendar," Grace Oliver, a former Unicorn, wisecracked.

Everyone laughed.

"When I heard you were leaving Sweet Valley, I _had_ to come see you off. I'm literally missing cheerleading practice for this," Janet Howell said.

My mouth flew open in shock. Janet was Lila's cousin and had literally been the queen bee of Sweet Valley Middle School. We didn't exactly see eye to eye on a lot of things because she could sometimes be mean and bossy but Janet was still somebody I secretly admired. It meant a lot to me that she actually dropped something she was doing in _high school_ to come see _me_.

I was so happy, I hugged her. And I've _never_ hugged Janet before.

Lila stepped forward in the middle of my room, clearing her throat.

"Alright, fellow current and former Unicorns, this is a special meeting of the Unicorn Club. By next Monday, as we all know, Jessica will be living in Connecticut with her family."

"I still can't believe you'll really be gone, Jessica," Mandy Miller said sadly. "It's because of _you_ that I'm even a Unicorn."

I smiled gratefully at Mandy. Mandy is a cancer survivor who really wanted to join the Unicorns but because of her illness, at first. But I really fought to have her in the club because of her amazing personality. Since joining, she's been a great addition.

"Me, neither. It's going to be sad to see you go," Rachel Grant added mournfully. Rachel was our newest member, having met us through Lila.

"I never thought I'd see the day we would actually have to say goodbye to one of our own," Ellen mused sadly.

"Uh, we've said goodbye to quite a _few_ former Unicorns, Ellen," I reminded her, pointing to Janet. "Plus, our original club president, who's _**standing right in front of us**."_

"Oh, I forgot."

All of us Unicorns shook our heads. Sometimes, I can't believe Ellen ended up president of our club.

"Anyway, I know it seemed we were acting a little standoffish with you but it took a lot of planning to pull this off," Kimberly Haver replied. "We weren't _trying_ to be but we wanted to give you a proper Unicorn send-off. So we're sorry if it seemed we were ignoring you."

She turned to Ellen. "Ellen, may you do the honors?" she asked.

Ellen nodded. She took a tiny box from Janet's hands and stood in front of me.

"Jessica Samantha Wakefield, as president of the Unicorns, it is my pleasure to give you your very own Unicorn necklace! All former Unicorns have one as a reminder of their time in the club. So I, Ellen Marie Riteman, am happy and delighted to give you your pure gold Unicorn necklace as a token of our appreciation of being a loyal Unicorn!"

She took the necklace out of the box. In her hands, was a gold chain with a tiny Unicorn charm. The horn was purple and its eye was a silvery-gray diamond.

"That necklace wasn't cheap! I had my dad get that custom-made with only the best gold and diamonds money can buy!" Lila added, beaming proudly.

Ellen then put the necklace around my neck and everyone began clapping and cheering.

"The party's not over yet," Lila announced when the cheering subsided. "With permission already granted to us by our parents and Mr. and Mrs. Wakefield, Jess, we know your bed got taken away to be put in storage so we brought sleeping bags! We're all going to have a Unicorn sleepover!"

Everyone cheered. Sleeping bags were laid out on the floor of my room and chaos ensued. I still couldn't believe how my friends had managed to pull everything off. How other people could call my friends selfish and shallow was beyond me.

Later that night, after all the gossiping and junk-food-eating and dancing and hair braiding and laughing through the night was over, it was only me and Lila that were still awake.

"Jess, can I tell you something?" she whispered in the dark next to me.

"Sure," I replied.

"I know we don't always see eye to eye as best friends but please believe me when I say I that I'm really going to miss you. Despite how we sometimes act towards each other, you're still my best friend and I don't know how I'm going to cope without my best friend _and_ sometimes best enemy."

"Lila, that's actually the sweetest words I think you've ever said to me," I told her, touched.

And then instantly, as if someone had turned on a switch, Lila scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Well, don't expect anymore sappiness from _me_ ," she replied, narrowing her eyes. "And don't tell anyone I said any of that – I'll never hear the end of it from anybody."

And with that, she turned her back away from me and went to sleep.

All I could do was smile.

"I'm going to miss you, too, Lila," I said softly before snuggling happily in my sleeping bag.


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Note: **Patty:** Alice and Sharon are half-cousins in this story because their mothers are half-sisters._

 ** _CNJ:_** _I didn't want to say it at first but I am planning to write something in Elizabeth's POV soon. And thank you for your suggestions as they are quite helpful!_

Chapter 5

" **J** ess, wake up! It's moving day! Wake up!" Elizabeth yelled in my ear, shaking me awake.

I blinked my eyes sleepily, rubbing the sleep out of them.

"JES-SI-CA!" Elizabeth repeated, shouting ."C'mon, we have a _lot_ to do! Get _up_!"

"Alright, alright, I'm up," I said crabbily, stretching in my sleeping bag. "What time is it?"

"Time to get up. Now move it!" Elizabeth demanded, leaving my room.

I rolled my eyes in annoyance and got up to roll my sleeping bag, the only thing that was still in my room

I then looked around my bare room sadly. _So many memories,_ I thought. I placed a hand on one of the walls. _I hope the new person who has this room treats you nice_ , I thought. I felt a little silly treating my old room like it was a person with thoughts and feeling but at the moment, I was feeling a little sentimental.

I snuffled a little but then held back from crying completely. I'd done enough of that all week.

Downstairs, the movers Mom and Dad hired were hard at work loading all of our things into a huge moving truck. Nearby, Dad had rented a minivan for us to drive to the airport and also was a flatbed truck to transport the family car. Some of our neighbors, including Lila, Steven's friend Joe Howell (Janet's brother) and Amy Sutton and her family, came to help us and see us off as we put our stuff into the moving truck.

So it was completely busy on the street of Calico Drive today. When the last of our belongings were stored away into the truck and our old home was safely secured, it was time to say goodbye.

I watched as my siblings and parents said goodbye to all their friends and neighbors, giving them goodbye hugs, high-fives and kisses.

My goodbyes to Lila had already been said but I still gave her a hug anyway.

"Try to keep in touch," I said.

"Of course I will. _You_ better keep in touch with _me._ And I'll also try to visit one day."

And with that, I let go of Lila and turned away, waving at her.

I put my suitcase in the back of the minivan and hopped inside the car. I then put my seatbelt on as Dad started the ignition.

"Everyone all set?" Dad asked.

"All set, Dad," Elizabeth replied, swallowing hard. I could tell she was trying hard not to cry.

I rested my head on her shoulder in an effort to try to comfort her.

Dad then pulled away from the driveway. I could see Lila, Amy and Joe wave to us sadly as we drove away from our now former house.

 _Goodbye, Sweet Valley._

* * *

We arrived at LAX an hour after we left Sweet Valley. All of our stuff was being driven across the country in a moving truck and then would be put into storage until Mom and Dad bought a new house in Connecticut.

We waited three hours until our plane was announced for boarding from LAX to JFK in New York City.

After we _finally_ got on the plane, we got settled into our seats for the long plane ride to NYC.

I got a little excited because I actually had never been to New York City before and was looking forward to seeing it, even though I'd probably only be there for a short time.

"Well, at least we'll see New York," I said to Steven and Elizabeth.

Steven nodded glumly, not saying a word. He still wasn't happy about leaving Sweet Valley.

Elizabeth looked a little more excited. "Yeah! But I don't think we'll have time to sightsee though."

"Well, actually, girls, Stoneybrook is only less than a hour away from New York City," Mom said to us. "I know because Aunt Rita used to take my siblings plus Sharon and me there on occasion as a kid to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Maybe we could go there at some point and _really_ explore the city."

I smiled a little. "It's just like how it was being close to LA!" I exclaimed. _I guess it_ _ **would**_ _be cool living near a city as glamourous and exciting like New York_ , I thought. I began to feel a little cheered up.

At this point, the plane began to start and go down the runway. Then we were off, flying away into the air.

I felt my life begin to change as soon as the plane took off.

* * *

"Jess! We're here! Wake up!" Elizabeth whispered, shaking me awake.

I had slept through the entire flight, falling asleep throughout some boring movie. Our flight lasted about three and a half hours and I had fallen asleep.

I rose from my seat and stretched. "We made it?" I asked.

"We made it. We landed about five minutes ago. We're in New York now with only fifty-five minutes to go until we reach Stoneybrook," Mom replied.

We grabbed our carry-on bags and walked down the aisle toward the exit.

"So now what do we do?" Steven asked.

"Well, we get our luggage first and then find a place where we can rent a car we can use until our actual car gets to Stoneybrook," Dad said. "Onwards, Wakefields!"

We followed Dad through the crowded, busy airport to the luggage reclaim to pick up our bags. Afterwards, we followed him to the car rental place to rent a car to use until our actual car arrived.

Dad ended up renting a grey minivan. We then loaded our belongings into the van and got in. Then we were on the road. To pass the time, I looked out the window, Elizabeth wrote in her journal, Steven flipped through a _Sports Illustrated_ magazine and Mom and Dad talked.

I stared out the window at the scenery in front of me; it was definitely a different world from Sweet Valley. No palm trees or sandy beaches. It was a far cry from the world I knew.

Mom began telling us stuff about her uncle and the rest of her family in Stoneybrook but I was too bored and annoyed to listen. Mom was halfway through a story when she interrupted herself, spotting a highway sign for the exit to Stoneybrook. Two minutes later, Dad took the exit.

"Well, everyone, here we are," Mom announced. "Welcome to Stoneybrook."

Driving through the town seemed a little surreal. It wasn't _anything_ like Sweet Valley. For starters, it looked a little too _bland_ for my tastes.

Mom was the only one who seemed excited as we drove through the streets. "Here's Downtown Stoneybrook!" she announced happily. "I see they still have Bellair's."

"What's Bellair's?" Elizabeth asked curiously.

"A department store here in Stoneybrook," Mom answered. "I used to go there _all_ the time."

Dad continued driving for a few more minutes with Mom pointing out different places along the way. I felt bored out of my skull. _Still not as cool as Sweet Valley_ , I thought, rolling my eyes

"Oh, before I forget, kids," Mom said, turning to us. "Now, Cousin Sharon's kids are a little different from you. Sharon explained to me on the phone. Now, I want you all to treat them all with respect. Get along with them; they _are_ family, after all. And at one point, I'd like you to meet your Great-Uncle Charlie."

 _How much_ _ **different**_ _from us could they be?_ I wondered. _What are they, freaks?_

About ten minutes later, Dad pulled up to a house on a street called Burnt Hill Road..

"Where are we?" Steven asked.

"This, Steven, is where my cousin Sharon lives. She bought an old farmhouse here in town and she and her family live here. Ned, honk your horn to let Sharon know we're here!"

And that's just what Dad did. Five seconds later, a woman with short blonde hair came running out through the front door. Behind her, was a balding man with brown hair and glasses.

"Alice!" The woman yelled happily, running towards her. "I can't believe you're really here! Richard, come meet my cousin Alice!"

The two women hugged each other tightly while Dad, Steven, Elizabeth and I sat in the car, looking at each other awkwardly.

The man Sharon called Richard extended his hand out for a handshake. "Nice to meet you, Alice. I'm Richard Spier, Sharon's husband."

Mom shook his hand. "Well, it's nice to meet you as well, Richard. Thank you for having me and my family in your home. I'm so glad to be back in Stoneybrook after all these years."

Sharon grabbed a hold of Mom's hands. "And thank _you_ for volunteering to help with my dad. I understand it couldn't have been easy to drop everything and leave your home for my dad. I appreciate you coming to help."

"The pleasure is all mine, Sharon. Now…where's that family of mine?"

She motioned for us to get out of the car. Dad stepped forward and shook hands with Sharon and Richard, introducing himself.

"These are our children; our son Steven and our daughters Elizabeth and Jessica," Mom introduced.

My siblings and I shook hands briefly.

"Well, let's bring your things into the house. Our children are inside. I'm sure you'd like to meet them. C'mon in," Sharon said. "Girls? Dawn! Mary Anne!"

Dad, Steven and Richard brought our things inside and we all followed Sharon inside the house.

"You have a nice house, uh..." Elizabeth began, hesitating. "I'm sorry but what do we call you?" she asked Sharon.

"You can just call me Sharon. Now, tell me this...how do I tell you two apart?"

"That's easy; Elizabeth is the smart twin and Jessica is the ditz," Steven wisecracked, snorting a laugh.

" _Mom!_ " I exclaimed.

"Stop it, you two," Mom scolded at Steven and me.

Sharon chuckled. "Sounds almost like my kids. Now, where are those two? I told them you all would be coming. Girls!"

Suddenly, two teenage girls that looked about me and my sister's ages came down the stairs. One girl had long, flowing blonde hair similar to me and my sister's hair. She was wearing a short yellow tank top with faded jeans and white sneakers. The other girl had brown hair cut into a neat bob. She was wearing an oversized brown sweater with a black plaid skirt and penny loafers. She was holding a tiny gray cat in her arms.

"Dawn and Mary Anne, these are your relatives from Sweet Valley, California. My cousin Alice Wakefield and her husband Ned and their children Steven, Jessica and Elizabeth."

Dawn shook our hands. "Nice to meet you. You're from Sweet Valley, right? I think I've been there a few times. I'm originally from Palo City. You all ever been there?"

"A couple of times," Elizabeth answered, smiling. "I think we went there on a class trip."

Dawn and Elizabeth seemed to automatically get along. As for Steven, Mary Anne and me, the three of us simply stared at each other. Mary Anne seemed to be really shy around us.

"Let's get you all settled," Sharon said. "Now, my son's old room can be Steven's room. There's a guestroom that Alice and Ned can use and as for Elizabeth and Jessica, you can each stay with either Mary Anne or Dawn in their rooms."

It already seemed Dawn and my sister would share Dawn's room so that meant I would have to share with Mary Anne, who barely said a word.

"We're sharing _rooms_?" I asked in disbelief.

I had once shared a room with Elizabeth and had to fight to get my own room. It was bad enough I had leave my home and my room. Now I would have share with a boring, quiet, shy girl.

Mom gave me a stern warning look.

 _Well, at least it's temporary_ , I thought, sighing. _We'll be in our own house soon._

"What are we doing tomorrow?" I asked.

"Tomorrow, all of you will be in school," Mom announced happily. "Steven, you'll be in Stoneybrook High and girls, you'll be in Stoneybrook Middle School with Mary Anne and Dawn. All of your records from your old schools were already transferred over."

 _Stuck in a boring town with boring as butter people_ , I thought moodily. _Now I'll probably be around more boring people. What has become of my life?_


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's note: **Patty:** I see your point about Elizabeth being born to live in Stoneybrook. She's the nicer twin so everyone will probably seem to get along much better with her than Jessica. _

**_CNJ_** _: I made some changes to the last chapter after I read your last review. I haven't read the BSC books in so long. Thanks for pointing them out for me!_

* * *

Chapter 6

 **I** followed Mary Anne upstairs to her room to unpack my suitcase and get settled. When I got to her door, she put her cat gently on the floor and opened her door for me.

"Thanks," I said, walking inside.

She gave me a brief, shy smile. "You're welcome. I'll be downstairs if you need anything."

And with that, she left.

 _I wonder if she has any friends_ , I thought. She seemed so unbelievably shy, it was hard to believe she'd talk to anyone other than her family and probably that cat of hers.

Her room was really neat and tidy. She had her bed neatly made and all of her clothes were in either her closet or folded in drawers. She definitely _wasn't_ a slob. On the other side of her bed, was a small futon bed I assumed was for me.

She had a poster of some young guy named Cam Geary on her wall above her bed. _Probably a teen star_ , I thought. I had never heard of him, although he looked kind of cute.

On the rest of her walls and nightstand, were various pictures of herself with her family, pictures of her with kids and other photos of her with Dawn and some other girls I assumed were their friends.

 _Oh, so she_ _ **does**_ _have friends_ , I thought. There was another picture that caught my eye. She was in a picture with a boy. A _cute_ boy at that. They were holding hands and staring at each other with that googly-eyed, love-struck look.

 _She has a_ _ **boyfriend**_ _?!_ I thought in shock. This girl definitely had me fooled! This quiet, shy and unassuming girl actually had a bunch of friends _and_ a boyfriend!

 _How does_ _ **she**_ _have a boyfriend while_ _ **I**_ _was in one of the most popular clubs in SVMS and could never even get Aaron Dallas to go steady with me?_

I instantly felt a pang of jealousy. _Mary Anne must_ _ **really**_ _be more popular than I thought!_

* * *

Downstairs, at dinner, the Wakefield-Schafer-Spier family all ate together at the table. I noticed while we ate, that Sharon and Dawn didn't eat the same things we were eating, which was meatloaf with mashed potatoes, gravy and peas. Instead, Sharon had made a tofu loaf with cauliflower mash and peas for herself and Dawn.

It turns out that Sharon and Dawn are vegetarians and health food fanatics. I nearly gagged as I watched the two of them slice into their tofu and eat it.

I was thankful at least the Spiers were regular meat eaters like my family.

As I took a bite of meatloaf, I felt the cat brush up against my ankles, meowing at me. I bent over to pet it. It really was a cute little cat.

I heard Mary Anne giggle. "Oh, don't mind Tigger," she said to me. "He's only begging for some of your meatloaf."

She got up from the table. "Here, Tigger. C'mon, little guy. Let me go feed you."

She then picked Tigger up and walked with him to the kitchen.

"He really is so cute," I said, getting up to follow her. "I wish my mom and dad let us have a pet."

Mary Anne smiled a little at me. "Um…yeah…he _is_ cute," she agreed, looking down at her feet.

She then did the task of opening a can of cat food and scooping some out into a bowl for Tigger along with putting some fresh water down for him.

I decided to put on the charm. If I was ever going to be popular and have a cute boyfriend like Mary Anne, I needed to know her tricks.

"So, are there any special clubs you're a part of at your school? Any club at your school I should know about?" I asked her, thinking of the photos I found in her room of her, Dawn and those other girls. They were probably part of a club like the Unicorns and if that was the case, then I wanted in!

"Special club?" Mary Anne asked in confusion. "Do you mean extracurricular clubs like a chess or reading club or something?"

I shook my head. "No. More like an exclusive girls club."

Mary Anne shook her head. "No, nothing like that at my school."

My face fell in disappointment.

"But my stepsister and I _are_ members of a club outside of school," Mary Anne continued. "My best friend actually founded it. It's called the Baby-Sitters Club. It's a more of a business than a club, actually. We're popular throughout town because we're a reliable business in Stoneybrook."

I couldn't help but wrinkle my nose up in disgust. "So you're saying you watch other people's kids?" I asked. _That_ made her popular?

"Yeah. Parents and kids love us. Plus, _we_ love it because it brings all of us together. All of my best friends and my boyfriend are part of it. Now...um…do you have any more questions? I have to take care of my cat's litter box."

I shook my head. "No. I think I'm good," I said.

Mary Anne turned and walked away.

 _Baby-sitting is what makes one popular around here?_ I thought, shaking my head. _Weird._

* * *

The next day, was time for the first day in a new school. I awoke and dug in my suitcase for a suitable outfit.

I dressed in one of my best outfits; my purple leggings, a slightly distressed Johnny Buck t-shirt, black ballet slippers and a purple denim jacket. I put on a little makeup along with the unicorn chain around my neck I was given to by my old friends.

 _Dressed to impress_ , I thought, giving myself a look in Mary Anne's bedroom mirror.

I picked up my purple backpack and went to join everyone else for breakfast.

"Good morning, Jessica. You look nice today," Sharon complimented me.

I smiled. "Thanks," I said, beaming proudly.

"Who's Johnny Buck?" Dawn asked curiously, squinting at my shirt.

I felt offended. "Only like the _greatest rock star on Earth_ ," I said, flabbergasted.

Dawn only shrugged. "Oh. I've never heard of him. Is he a local Sweet Valley musician?"

I frowned. "I don't know. Probably," I said, sitting down at the table.

"You look like a grape," Steven teased. "You're not in the Unicorn Club anymore, you know."

Elizabeth giggled.

I made a face at him and rolled my eyes at Elizabeth. I could see Dawn and Mary Anne look at us in confusion.

"Sharon, it looks like I'm going to have to go to the grocery store today. I didn't know you and Dawn were vegetarians. Ned and I don't want to burden Richard with eating food meant for him and Mary Anne," Mom said. "I can go to the nearest supermarket to buy food after I drop the kids off at school."

Richard laughed. "Alice, don't worry about it. I'm pretty sure my wife forgot to mention to you that she doesn't eat meat, which is typical Sharon. Plus, I don't mind cooking for five more people – it means they'll be less leftovers in the fridge. Don't worry about trying to earn your keep around here. You and your family are _our_ family."

Alice gave Richard a watery smile. "Well, thank you, Richard," she said. "But I'll pay it back some kind of way, I promise."

"You do that but in the meantime, let's eat so we can go on about our day!" Sharon exclaimed, laughing and linking arms with my mom.

Mom made bacon, eggs, toast and juice for us except Sharon and Dawn, who ate granola with soy milk with toast. Afterwards, Dad and Richard went to work while Sharon stayed at home. Mom piled Steven, Elizabeth, Dawn, Mary Anne and me in the minivan to school.

"I still remember where everything is after all these years," Mom replied, smiling. "It's almost like I never left."

"How does it feel to be back, Mrs. Wakefield?" Mary Anne asked.

"You don't have to call me that, Mary Anne. I'm family. Just call me Alice," Mom said.

Mary Anne only blushed.

"But in answer to your question, it feels wonderful."

Mom suddenly pulled up in front of the school – my new school.

"Have a good day, girls. I'm taking Steven to school and then I think I'll go and visit Aunt Rita and Uncle Charlie and see what I can do to help them. Have a great first day, Jessica and Elizabeth,"

"Thanks, Mom. Bye!" Elizabeth replied, smiling.

"Bye, Mom. Bye, Steven," I said.

"Bye! And thanks for the ride," Dawn added, waving.

Mom drove away.

I turned and faced the building, gulping nervously.

"You two should probably check in with the school secretary first. They'll give you a list of all your classes and stuff. We'll take you to the school office. Mrs. Downey is really nice," Dawn said to Elizabeth and me.

I only nodded. The four of us walked inside, letting Dawn and Mary Anne lead the way.

I was so nervous, I didn't see where I was going and bumped right into a girl with brown hair. The two of us fell right on the floor in front of everyone.

 _Nice going, Jessica,_ I thought. _First thing everyone sees of me, is me on the floor on my butt. Some first impression._

"Hey, watch where you're going, freak!" The brown-haired girl shrieked.

We both got up, dusting ourselves off.

"Sorry," I said. "I didn't see you."

She only rolled her eyes, glaring at all of us.

"Whatever," she snapped, storming away.

"What's _that_ girl's problem?" I asked angrily. _I think I just found the Lila Fowler of Stoneybrook._

" _That_ would be Cokie Mason, one of the most popular yet snottiest people at SMS," Mary Anne informed me. "She's a pain."

"I'll say," I heard Elizabeth mutter.

The four of us walked inside the school office. Inside, was a woman with salt and pepper hair typing at a desk.

"May I help you?" she asked.

My sister took charge. "Hello. We're Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield. We just moved here from Sweet Valley, California and our records from our old school were transferred here. We'd like to know our schedules, please."

The woman nodded. "Ah, yes. Wakefield. I believe your records came in on Friday…yes, we have your records from Sweet Valley Middle School. You all are thirteen, I believe?"

"Yes, ma'am," I said.

The woman quickly printed out our schedules and handed them to us. "Well, the two of you will be eighth grade students here. The assistant principal, Mr. Kingbridge, will assist you to your classes."

"Thank you," we both said.

"Hello, Dawn and Mary Anne," the secretary said to them. "Are you with these girls?"

"Hello, Mrs. Downey," Dawn greeted her. "They're our cousins."

"How nice. Well, welcome to Stoneybrook and welcome to SMS, girls. How nice that we have another set of twins!"

 _ **Another**_ _set of twins_? I thought.

Suddenly, a man with a suit and tie came walking towards us. He was wearing a green tie with blue moose on it, quite possibly one of the ugliest ties I had ever seen.

"Hello, girls. I'm Mr. Kingbridge, the assistant principal here at Stoneybrook Middle School. And you two are?"

"I'm Elizabeth Wakefield," Elizabeth said.

"And I'm Jessica," I said. "We're new here. We're both with Mary Anne and Dawn."

Mr. Kingbridge shook our hands. "Nice to meet you both. Lucky for you, you all are in the same homeroom. I'll give Dawn and Mary Anne tardy passes because they both have been very helpful in escorting you. I see you both have your schedules. Let's get to your homeroom, shall we?"

Mr. Kingbridge then escorted the four of us down the long hallway to the door that was our classroom. He opened it. "This is Mr. Blake's homeroom class," he told us. We all walked in, the noise suddenly ceasing.

"Good morning, class," he greeted the classroom.

"Good morning, Mr. Kingbridge," the class greeted back.

"Class, we have two new students today. They are Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield, from Sweet Valley, California. Let's welcome them both to SMS and show them a helping hand around the school. Welcome, ladies."

He shook our hands and left the room.

The man who was our teacher walked up to us. "I'm Mr. Blake, your homeroom teacher. You may take your seats, ladies." He said.

I looked at Dawn, Elizabeth and Mary Anne, who only shrugged.

I sat down in a desk and quickly looked around at my surroundings. In a sea of faces, the only face I recognized other than the faces of my sister and my cousins was Cokie Mason. _Ugh._ _ **She's**_ _here? Great._

She noticed me looking at her and gave me a mean stare, suddenly rolling her eyes at me.

 _What did I do to make her so mean?_ I thought, frowning. _It's gonna be a_ _ **long**_ _year._


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's_ _note:_ _ **CNJ:** I'm glad you're enjoying all the drama between Cokie and Jessica! Thank you for your feedback in my story. And as for Sharon, she's taking a little time off from her job, yes. Thanks for all your helpful reviews. :)_

* * *

Chapter 7

 **A** t lunchtime, I felt so lost. Back at my old school, I felt like a princess sitting at the Unicorner with the rest of the Unicorns at our table. Here at SMS, I felt like a fish out of water; I didn't belong anywhere.

I needed _somewhere_ to sit so I spotted Elizabeth sitting with Dawn, Mary Anne and a bunch of other girls I didn't know.

The table was kinda crowded because at this particular table, sat Elizabeth, Dawn and Mary Anne sitting with four girls I didn't know but I was desperate to sit with _anybody_ just so I wouldn't look like a loser new kid.

"Jess, come sit!" Elizabeth exclaimed, waving over to me.

"Are you sure there's room for me?" I asked hesitantly.

"Of course! Dawn and Mary Anne were just introducing me to their friends. Have a seat!"

I shrugged, sitting down.

It was then that I recognized the other girls as some of the girls I saw in the photos in Mary Anne's room.

"Jessica and Elizabeth, these are our friends," Dawn introduced, pointing to each girl. "Kristy Thomas, Abby Stevenson, Stacey McGill and Claudia Kishi. Our other two friends are sixth graders that have a different lunch period than we do."

"Um, hi," I said, suddenly shy. "I'm Jessica."

"I saw you in my English class," the girl named Abby replied. "I have a twin sister, too! – Her name is Anna."

I nodded, suddenly realizing the secretary had mentioned another set of twins here earlier.

"I _love_ your outfit but _who_ is Johnny Buck?" the girl called Stacey asked.

I wanted so desperately to roll my eyes. _These Stoneybrook people are_ _ **soooooooo**_ _musically ignorant,_ I thought.

"He's one of the most talented, most beautiful, most cutest rock stars on the face of the Earth," I said.

"From how he looks on your shirt, he definitely looks hot so I think I agree on the beautiful part," Stacey replied, smiling.

"Don't mind Stacey. She's always boy crazy," the girl named Kristy replied, rolling her eyes jokingly. "Dawn just told us you guys had a run in with Cokie Mason. What was _that_ like?"

"Why is she so mean?" I asked. "All I did was bump into her and she tried to bite my head off!"

"She's a bully. She's just jealous of us," the girl named Claudia said, waving her hand dismissively. "All Cokie has done since we've known her is try to make our lives miserable. If I were you, I'd ignore her."

Elizabeth chuckled. "Well, you don't have to tell _me_ twice. I've dealt with my fair share of mean girls before and I don't want to deal with _them_ again."

I narrowed my eyes a little at Elizabeth's 'mean girls' comment because I knew she was referring to the Unicorns but I let it slide.

"Must be great being from such a cool place like California," Abby mused. "I'd _love_ to live there but I think the redwood would make me sneeze."

"Abby, the _world_ would make you sneeze," Kristy said, giggling.

Abby burst out laughing. "Tis true," she replied.

So far, the girls I was sitting and talking to _seemed_ really nice but something was eating at me about them.

The more I sat and hung around them, the more I realized I had absolutely _nothing_ in common with them. Stacey and Claudia seemed the most cool out of the bunch but even with them, I didn't feel like I belonged with any of them.

I really missed my Unicorn friends. With them, I'd be gossiping about boys, making plans for sleepovers or shopping trips, talking about celebrities and our favorite TV shows.

The Baby-Sitters Club seemed like something Elizabeth's Angel Club would probably do.

I remembered when Elizabeth first joined the Unicorns, she couldn't take it because she realized she had nothing in common with us. Then when she rejoined it, her and her friends made changes and had us do nice things for our community, which was actually kind of cool. We volunteered working at a daycare center.

I was secretly glad when Kimberly Haver came back from Georgia and switched things back because I couldn't take another minute working in that daycare center.

 _Lizzie would be a perfect fit for these girls_ , I thought. _Not me. This isn't my world._ I liked Dawn and Mary Anne but I couldn't see myself as their best friend or anything.

The lunch bell rang, signaling it was time to depart.

"Jess, the girls in the BSC invited us to a meeting of their club. Kristy says it's OK to hang out," Elizabeth said. "Today is one of the days they're going to be meeting. I know kids and baby-sitting isn't really your thing but do you still want to come?"

I shook my head. "Nah. I think I'll pass. You go on without me. I think I'll just go back to the Spiers' house."

Elizabeth frowned. "Oh…OK. Well, just tell Mom where I'll be at after school."

I only nodded.

"Nice meeting you, Jessica!" Stacey replied, giving me a friendly smile as she walked away.

"Um, thanks," I said.

The cafeteria was nearly empty at this point. I spotted a trash can and went to throw my trash away.

But before I could, Cokie Mason blocked my path. She was standing in the middle with at least three other girls and she had her hands on her hips, giving me a smug grin.

"Well, so we meet again," she drawled, crossing her arms. "What were you and your loser friends talking about? Changing stinky diapers?"

Her friends all laughed.

"Can you just leave me alone?" I asked pleadingly. "I don't even know you."

Cokie then put on a baby voice, mocking me. Her cronies laughed again. Then she glared at me, continuing to talk. "You started it when you bumped into me, Wakefield."

"It was an _accident_. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm not in the mood."

I turned to walk away from her and her clique. _This girl clearly has issues_ , I thought.

"Anyone who hangs with those baby sitting freaks are losers. I swear, those girls think they're better than everyone else."

I felt my blood start to boil. "First off, those girls _aren't_ freaks. Second, two of them are my cousins and third, I'm not _in_ the club so _back off_!"

And before I knew what I was doing, I had shoved Cokie into a wall, grabbed her hair and began hitting her as hard as I could.

"FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!" Someone yelled. I heard shrieks from kids in the cafeteria.

Next thing I knew, I was being pulled off Cokie by a man in a suit and tie.

"Enough! Stop it! I _will not have fighting! Enough!_ "

"But, Mr. Taylor, _she_ started it!" Cokie yelled.

" _You_ provoked me!" I yelled back angrily.

"I don't care _who_ started it! Both of you in my office! _Now_!"

The two of us dutifully followed Mr. Taylor to his office.

My first day at a new school and I was already in trouble.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

 **C** okie and I sat across from Mr. Taylor, the school's principal and Mr. Kingbridge in Mr. Taylor's office. We sat next to each other, glaring at each other with our nostrils flaring.

Mr. Taylor and Mr. Kingbridge both were whispering amongst themselves words we couldn't hear. Finally, Mr. Taylor got up from his seat and walked to the front of his desk, giving us a hard, stern look.

"First off, I want to say how disappointed I am that this even happened. SMS has a no tolerance policy on fighting."

"But_" Cokie began but Mr. Taylor cut her off.

"Miss Mason, I am extremely disappointed you got yourself involved in a fight. According to your teachers, your grades are low and your last progress report was disappointing to say the least. Are you aiming for an expulsion?"

Cokie hung her head. "No, sir," she muttered.

Mr. Taylor then turned to me. "And as for you, Miss Wakefield, you may be new but you are not exempt from the fighting policy either. I don't know how your old school handled students fighting but you should know SMS doesn't tolerate it!"

He then sighed. "I have discussed it with Mr. Kingbridge and he agrees. Girls, as per the rules of SMS, the two of you will be suspended starting today until Friday. I will be notifying your parents to come pick you up and I also want the two of you to serve Saturday morning detention."

My mouth flew open in shock. I was getting suspended _and_ Saturday detention for being bullied? I wanted to cry.

"This isn't fair! She _bullied_ me!" I exclaimed.

"Miss Wakefield, while I _do_ agree with you that Miss Mason should not have bullied you, the manner in which you handled it was in bad form. You did not have strike anyone."

I bit my lip. I hated to admit it, but Mr. Taylor had a point. I didn't have to hit Cokie but she made me _soooooooo_ mad! But I could've found a better way to handle her tormenting me. Now I was going to have to face the consequences of my actions.

 _My parents are going to kill me_ , I thought as I slumped in my seat.

* * *

Mom was absolutely livid with me when she found out I had gotten suspended from school on my first day. Mom had to pick me up early from school from visiting her uncle's house because Dad was still working.

"Jessica Samantha, I am _absolutely, one hundred percent_ disappointed in you," she said to me in the car as we drove down through the streets. "Your first day of school and you get _suspended_?! What were you _thinking_ hitting that girl? I have _never_ in my life seen you get in trouble for _anything_ in school and _fighting_ no less! What made today different?"

"Mom, I'm sorry," I said, tears springing to my eyes. "But that girl just _really_ got me upset. First, I accidentally bumped into her in the hallway and apologized and she was mean. Then she and her friends made fun of me and called Mary Anne and Dawn and their friends freaks. I asked her to leave me alone and she ignored me and…I just wasn't thinking after that. Mom, I'm sorry. _Really_ sorry."

Mom sighed. "Honey, I understand this moving thing is hard on you and you aren't 100% happy about being here. But you _are_ here now and you have to learn how to adapt. That means getting along with people _and_ ignoring the bullies."

She sighed again. "On top of your suspension and detention, young lady, you're also grounded for a week. No TV, phone or hanging out starting today. And since you won't be in school, you can come with me on Wednesday and Friday I visit your Great-Uncle Charlie and Great-Aunt Rita. Your father isn't going to be happy when he hears about this, Jessica."

I wanted to shrivel up and die at this point. I had had plans to call Lila on the phone when I got home and watch TV but those plans went straight out the window. All thanks to stupid Cokie Mason.

 _This bites_ , I thought angrily, my nostrils flaring.

* * *

Later that day, my sister and cousins arrived back from school. The four of us sat in Mary Anne's room to talk.

"Jess, what happened? Rumors have been flying all over school!" Elizabeth demanded. "Plus, people at school who didn't know we were twins thought _I_ was the one who beat up Cokie!"

"Sorry I got you in trouble, Lizzie," I said sheepishly. "Cokie Mason got me in trouble. She and her flunkies accosted me in the cafeteria and started harassing me. She called Dawn and Mary Anne and their club friends freaks and wouldn't leave me alone," I said.

"Jessica, I don't know you very much," Mary Anne replied. "While I appreciate you standing up for us, are you _out_ of _your mind_? You _hit_ her! Fighting on school property is against the rules! You could've just ignored her like Claudia said."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I _know_ ," I replied. "The principal already told me about the no tolerance policy of fighting."

"So what happened when you and Cokie went to Mr. Taylor's office?" Dawn asked.

"I got suspended from now 'til Friday and got Saturday morning detention," I said. "Cokie, too."

Elizabeth's eyes grew wide. "You got _suspended_? Jessica, that's serious. That can end up on your permanent record! Are you _trying_ to get expelled?"

"Yeah, I think your sister's right," Dawn chimed in. "Being suspended from school will affect the rest of your life."

I rolled my eyes again at how dramatic everyone was being. "Like my future college professors will care about me getting suspended from school when I was in the _eighth_ _grade_." I then laughed. "Guys, chill out," I said.

"So now that you'll be here all week, what are you going to be doing all day? Goofing off, eating and watching _Days of Turmoil_?" Elizabeth asked sarcastically.

"No," I retorted. "As a matter of fact, Mom grounded me. I can't use the phone or watch TV. Instead, I'll be going with her to visit Great-Uncle Charlie and Great-Aunt Rita."

"Oh, Granny and Pop-Pop," Dawn replied. "Those are my grandparents on Mom's side."

"Right," I said.

Elizabeth sighed. "Well, I'm sorry you got grounded and suspended, Jess. Especially on the first day. I think you really need to tell Cokie you're sorry."

I nearly burst out laughing at my sister's response.

"Apparently, Cokie Mason doesn't take apologies too well. Fat chance of me doing _that_."

I lay on the futon bed. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to be alone now."

Mary Anne frowned. "This is still my room, you know," she said.

Dawn nudged her. "Oh, c'mon, Mary Anne," she said. "We have to get going. We have a meeting to get to. Kristy will kill us if we're late."

The three girls left the room, Mary Anne closing the door behind them.

I lay back on the bed, in complete boredom. I couldn't watch TV or use the phone or go anywhere (not that I _had_ anywhere to even go).

I didn't feel like reading or doing homework so I got up from the bed and pulled out a pencil and notebook. I decided to write my Unicorn friends a letter and address it to Lila to communicate since I couldn't call them.

I immediately began to write:

 _Dear Lila, Ellen, Rachel, Mandy and Kimberly_ _ **,**_

 _I miss you guys_ _ **so**_ _much! How is it in Sweet Valley?_

 _I haven't exactly made any new friends here in Stoneybrook. My mom's cousin Sharon is cool and her daughter Dawn and stepdaughter Mary Anne – my cousins – are_ _ **kinda**_ _cool. They're members of some babysitting club here. Ew. Elizabeth likes them and is going to hang out with them at a meeting or something. It wouldn't surprise me if she became their newest member._

 _My new school is called Stoneybrook Middle School and they put me and Elizabeth in the 8_ _th_ _grade here (I think it has something to do with our ages)._

 _Some of the people here are cool and everything except for this one girl named Cokie Mason. I bumped into her in the hallway on my first day of school accidentally and now she hates me. We got into a big fight in the cafeteria and we both got suspended! Can you guys believe that_ _ **I**_ _got_ _ **suspended**_ _?_

 _Cokie is actually popular at school here but she would_ _ **never**_ _fit in at SVMS or as a Unicorn. She seems too much like a brute._

 _So anyways, Mom grounded me for a week and now I can't use the phone or watch TV and I have to go with her when she visits her aunt and uncle! I would've called you guys but I can't._

 _I miss being a Unicorn. I hope you guys write back. Fill me in on all the gossip at SVMS!_

 _Maybe you guys can come visit me in Stoneybrook one day! This town is_ _ **way**_ _too drippy._

 _Write back._

 _Yours,_

 _Jessica_ _️❤️_

I then put the letter in a purple envelope, wrote Lila's address on it, stamped it and put unicorn stickers on it.

I told Mom I was going to mail a letter. There was a mailbox a few houses down from us so I quickly ran outside to mail it.

I came back in to find Mom and Sharon sitting together, talking and drinking coffee.

"Jess, tomorrow, Sharon is taking me to help look at houses," Mom said. "She's a real estate agent and agreed to help. Would you like to come along?"

"Sure," I said, shrugging.

 _It's not like I have anything better to do_ , I thought miserably.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

 _Dear Amy,_

 _So I promised you I would write a letter to tell you all about my new life living in a small New England town. So first of all, Stoneybrook is slightly bigger than Sweet Valley. We live about an hour and a half away from New York City and Stamford is right next door to us._

 _My mom's cousin is really nice. Her name is Sharon and she's a real estate agent. She has a daughter named Dawn who is my cousin. She also has a son named Jeff but he lives with his dad in CA._

 _Then there's Sharon's husband Richard. He's a lawyer like Dad and he also has a daughter. Her name is Mary Anne and she's my step-cousin (well, actually, Dawn and Jeff are my second cousins and Mary Anne is my second step-cousin but for some reason, it always feels weird when you have first cousins who are adults when their kids are the same age you are)._

 _All of my mom's family so far are really friendly and really cool. I think you'd like Stoneybrook if you were here. I actually like it more than I thought I would._

 _Mary Anne, Dawn, Jessica and I all go to the same school here in town called Stoneybrook Middle School. The teachers are great and the students are pretty nice. I really like it._

 _Dawn and Mary Anne introduced me to some friends of theirs. They're in a club called the Baby-Sitters Club and they make money watching grownups' kids! Everyone I've met so far in the club are pretty nice. I don't think Jessica likes them very much but I think that is very obvious. I think we all know kids were never Jessica's specialty!_

 _The president of the club invited me to a meeting of the club so I'm going to hang out with them today!_

 _I really hope you can visit me one of these days. Give Evie, Mary and Maria lots of hugs for me! I miss you guys sooooooo much! Angels forever!_

 _Love,_

 _Elizabeth_

* * *

 **W** hile I was stuck at home, bored out of my skull, my sister and my cousins were on their way to a meeting of the Baby-Sitters Club. Elizabeth was excited, to say the least. But in reality, she was also nervous. Elizabeth really wanted the BSC to like her.

She, Dawn and Mary Anne walked together to the meeting, chatting along the way.

The meeting was held at Claudia Kishi's house on a street called Bradford Court. Dawn informed Elizabeth that Claudia was the club's vice-president because she was the only one who had her own phone (lucky duck!) and provided food.

When they arrived, they greeted Claudia's parents and introduced Elizabeth to them. Then they walked upstairs into Claudia's room.

Elizabeth blinked in surprise at Claudia's room. Claudia's room was messy; Elizabeth was used to having her room neat and organized.

Mary Anne must have sensed the look on Elizabeth's face because she nudged her. "Claudia's a bit of a slob but she's a _neat_ slob. You're not going to find anything gross here, I promise," she whispered.

Elizabeth only nodded, dumbfounded.

In the room, Kristy Thomas was sitting in a director's chair; Stacey McGill was sitting on Claudia's bed; Abby Stevenson was sitting on the floor next to two other girls Elizabeth hadn't been acquainted with yet.

"Hey, guys, c'mon in!" Claudia greeted them. "Elizabeth! Glad you could make it! Have a seat anywhere!"

Elizabeth quickly took her seat next to Stacey on the bed. "Thanks for inviting me. I'm really happy to be here," she said.

"Hey, Elizabeth! Welcome!" Kristy exclaimed. "Sorry Jessica couldn't make it – we heard all about what happened with Cokie."

Elizabeth frowned. _Not that she particularly even **wanted** to come anyways_, Elizabeth thought.

"Oh! Elizabeth, before I forget," Kristy plowed on, pointing to a girl sitting on the floor with red curly hair, glasses and freckles and another girl with dark skin and her hair in a messy bun. "These are the sixth graders we were telling you about at lunchtime; Mallory Pike and Jessica Ramsey. Mal and Jessi, this is Elizabeth Wakefield. She moved here from Sweet Valley, California."

Elizabeth shook their hands. "Nice to meet you, Mallory and Jessica," she said cheerfully. "I have a sister named Jessica," she also pointed out.

"Nice to meet you, too," Jessi said. She shook Elizabeth's hand. "But you can call me Jessi. Just about everyone I know does. Plus, it will probably help now that you know _two_ Jessicas now."

Elizabeth nodded, smiling and chuckling. "Will do," she said.

Mallory looked a little bit more hesitant. "Um, aren't you the girl that got into that fight with Cokie Mason earlier today?" she asked. "The whole school's been talking about it."

Elizabeth blushed in embarrassment. "No," she replied. "That was my sister. We're identical twins."

" _Ohhhhhh_ ," Mallory said, nodding and blushing. "Sorry. I didn't know."

"Don't worry about it – I've been asked the same thing literally all day. We're both new to SMS. Nobody could've known we're twins."

"Hey, Elizabeth, do you like Twinkies?" Claudia asked, holding out a box she pulled from a pillow case.

"Sure," Elizabeth said, grabbing one. "Thanks." She opened it and nibbled on it.

"We can always count on Claud to have the _best_ snacks," Abby replied, opening a bag of puffed Cheez Doodles.

The clock instantly struck 5:30. Kristy immediately called the club to order.

At exactly that time, the phone suddenly rang. Everyone scrambled in their places. Elizabeth watched in fascination.

Stacey picked up the phone from her spot on Claudia's bed. "Hello? Baby-Sitters Club?" she answered.

She listened for a few seconds. "Alright, we'll be right back to see who's free," she said.

She hung up. "Alright, guys...um… Kristy's mom just called because she needs a sitter for Karen, Andrew and David Michael on Friday night at 6pm," she announced. "Her and Watson are going to the Stoneybrook Community Theatre's special showing of _My Fair Lady_."

Mary Anne quickly flipped open to a page in a notebook, scanning through it.

Her face looked tense. "Oh dear…it looks like we have a problem. It looks like none of us will be able to do it. All of us have prior engagements we can't get out of."

Kristy frowned. "Looks like we'll have to call in the reinforcements. Stace, can you call Logan and Shannon and see if they can do the job?"

Stacey nodded. She quickly called and explained the situation.

Afterwards, she hung up, looking dejected. "Well, this has never happened before. Logan is going to be away with his family and Shannon has a play rehearsal," she said grimly.

"What are we going to tell my mom?" Kristy wondered out loud.

Elizabeth didn't know where it came from or why she even did it but she raised her hand.

"I'll do it. I'll help."

Everyone stared at her.

"Have you baby-sat before?" Kristy asked. "I mean, no offense or anything, but if you don't have experience working with kids, then you shouldn't be doing this."

"No, I get it. I don't mind helping. It would make your business look bad if no one could take the job. I've baby-sat a few times before so I definitely have experience."

Kristy sighed. "If this were under different circumstances, I probably wouldn't do this, but this is an emergency. OK, I'll give you the job, Elizabeth. I like you and I trust you. Think you can handle the job? My steps and my brother can be a bit much."

Elizabeth chuckled a little. "You guys can count on me," she replied.

Stacey called Kristy's mom back. "Hello, Mrs. Thomas? Um…listen…I know this might sound a little strange but we have a new person that agreed to take on the job. Her name is Elizabeth Wakefield and she's Dawn and Mary Anne's cousin. She just moved here. Is it OK if she goes? None of us can make it."

Afterwards, she hung up. "She said it's fine," she said.

"Thanks for doing this, Elizabeth. We were in a serious jam," Mary Anne said gratefully.

"Well, Elizabeth, looks like you got some sitting charges and you're not even a member of the club!" Dawn exclaimed.

Everyone nodded their agreement, voicing their congrats and thanking her.

 _If I can handle having Jessica for a sister, I can handle this!_ Elizabeth thought, beaming proudly.

* * *

Later that night, Elizabeth, Mary Anne and Dawn were telling the family around the dinner table about how Elizabeth scored a sitting job at Kristy Thomas's house.

Steven then began telling us about a bunch of people he had met in his English class at Stoneybrook High and how they were going to hang out tomorrow for pizza in Downtown Stoneybrook. I knew everyone already knew about my suspension and didn't particularly want to discuss it around the dinner table.

I picked at my food moodily. I couldn't help but feel a small pang of envy at my siblings. My brother and sister were already starting to make friends in school and around the neighborhood and the only thing I had done was make an enemy.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

 **W** e woke up the next day. When I rolled out of bed, I went downstairs to the kitchen to find Dad, Richard and Sharon in the kitchen, eating breakfast.

"Good morning, Jessica," Dad greeted me.

"Morning, Dad, morning, Richard and Sharon," I said, sitting at the table.

"Your mom fixed some breakfast for you and left it on the counter, Jessica," Sharon told me. "She took Steven and the girls to school and said she'd be back in a hour. We're going to go look at houses today! Isn't that exciting?"

I bit my lip to stop myself from saying anything that would be deemed rude. House-hunting was the _last_ thing I wanted to do. But it wasn't as if I had a choice anyway. There was nothing for me to do here.

"Uh, sure," I said, giving Sharon a sugary sweet smile. "Can't wait." I then dug into my breakfast of scrambled eggs and sausage.

 _I'd rather eat dirt,_ I thought crossly.

Dad finished the last of his coffee. "Well, have fun, you two," he said to me and Sharon. "Sharon, I trust you'll find the best house for me and my family. Your help is greatly appreciated."

Sharon gave my dad a chuckle. "Don't mention it, Ned. I'll make sure the Wakefields have nothing but the best."

Dad smiled. Then he turned to me. "Alright, Jess. Don't forget you're on punishment," he reminded me.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. _How could I forget?_

"No, Dad," I said. "I didn't."

Dad then kissed the top of my head. "Good luck with the house-hunting. I'll see you later."

He turned and walked off towards the kitchen door, closing it behind him.

Richard kissed his wife goodbye and followed not too long after, saying goodbye to me.

Now it was just me and Sharon in the house.

Sharon looked at me, rubbing her hands on her pants. "Well, Jessica, your mother will be back soon. How about you change out of your PJs so we'll be ready when she comes back?"

I sighed. "Sure," I said dejectedly, slowly trudging towards the stairs back to Mary Anne's bedroom.

I brushed my teeth and hair and put on a pair of jeans with a purple sweater with a pair of black flats.

Once I got back downstairs, Mom was back and she and Sharon were at the door waiting for me.

"Good morning, sweetie," Mom said to me.

"Good morning," I said.

The three of us walked outside towards Sharon's car and got in.

After we strapped on our seat belts and Sharon started the ignition, we drove away.

"Now, Alice, tell me…what kind of house are you looking for?"

Mom looked deep in thought for a few minutes. "To be perfectly honest, Sharon, I don't know. I guess I'll know when I see it."

"What do you think, Jessica?" Sharon asked.

I only shrugged impassively. I was annoyed I was forced to tag along on this trip. I knew I'd be bored to tears.

"Well, I have a few homes in mind," Sharon replied. "The first one is on Slate Street. It's a lovely home, in my opinion, but I think I'll let you and Jessica be the judge of that."

Mom smiled. "Can't wait to see it. Let's go!"

So the three of us continued on, Mom and Sharon talking the whole way. I just sat in the backseat and sulked.

About fifteen minutes later, Sharon pulled up to a tiny light-blue house with grey shutters. It had a small lawn out front with a white fence bordering it. Next to the house, was a similar-looking garage.

"This is 23 Slate Street. I know it's on the small side but it is rather a cozy home," Sharon informed us. "Why don't we walk inside and see what's inside?"

Mom, Sharon and I got out of the car and walked towards the house. I couldn't help but wrinkle my nose at the house. It just looked _old._

"It looks old," I pointed out, frowning.

"That's because it's a Georgian-style house. The Georgian style is particularly famous in New England because of their ties to the Old World," Sharon informed me.

Sharon took out a key and opened the door.

 _Well, we're in a new century now,_ I thought. _I wouldn't be caught dead living here._

Sharon guided us through the empty house. "The house was built in 1952 and has been renovated a few times. It's a bit small but it's cozy. The last renovation was four years ago. The last owners wanted a more, um, _New Englandy_ feel, if that makes any sense," she told us. "It's got three bedrooms, a tiny kitchen with an island, a bathroom with a claw-feet bathtub, a garage and an indoor back porch with a small backyard."

Mom only pursed her lips in thought. "It's nice," she replied. "But not what the family is looking for. We need something a little bigger and we need more bedrooms for all of the kids."

I sighed in relief. In our old house in Sweet Valley, I had to share with Elizabeth. There was no way in the world I was going back to that life again.

Sharon nodded. "I understand completely. Well…alright…I think I might have just the place. Follow me."

So we went back inside the car once more and drove off.

Ten minutes later, we arrived in front of a pretty _big_ house. Not exactly big like Lila's mansion but it was still pretty big. I whistled in awe.

"Uh…Sharon? Where exactly are we?" Mom asked.

"This is the neighborhood of McLelland Road. A lot of the houses in this neighborhood are on the upscale side. In fact, Dawn and Mary Anne have a friend who lives on this street. Kristy Thomas' stepfather, Watson Brewer, owns a house just like this one here on this street."

I remembered meeting Kristy at lunch yesterday. I couldn't believe _she_ actually lived in a mansion. She didn't look like a typical rich girl. From what I remembered, Kristy looked rather plain and ordinary.

 _I wouldn't mind living_ _ **here**_ _,_ I thought. I could imagine rubbing in Lila's face that I also lived in a mansion and remove the smug look on her face.

Mom's voice broke me out of my daydream. "Sharon," she said, chuckling. "I think you forgot this house is a little bit out of me and Ned's price range. It's a great house…but do you think you could find something a little bit _cheaper_?"

Sharon blushed. "Say no more. Alright…I think I have _just_ the place this time. Come with me."

I frowned in disappointment. _There goes the mansion_ , I thought sadly.

* * *

We pulled up right in front a medium-sized house on a quiet street. The house was light-yellow with white shutters at the top and two large bay windows on both sides of the house at the bottom.

"This is 11 Cherry Valley Road," Sharon informed us. "A Colonial-style house with a large living room, bay windows, a kitchen with plenty of counter space, a breakfast nook that overlooks the backyard and a patio that connects to the family room. It also has _four_ bedrooms and three bathrooms. One bathroom for the master bedroom, another bathroom and a half bathroom downstairs near the family room. There is also an attic, basement, garage and plenty of closet space."

I ran up the stairs to check out the bedrooms. One of the rooms had a window that overlooked the front of the street perfectly. It had a brown, hardwood floor, white walls and a huge walk-in-closet. I shrieked when I spotted the walk-in-closet, imagining all of the outfits I would store in there. _I probably have to decorate,_ I thought. _Some purple paint. Johnny Buck and Melody Power posters._ Yeah…this room was definitely going to get _Jessicaized_ soon.

The bathroom was a decent size. I knew I'd have to probably share with Lizzie and Steven but I was still impressed with it.

So far, the house seemed perfect. It wasn't too old or too small and it definitely wasn't a mansion or too expensive. It felt actually _right_ for us.

I stared at Mom, hoping she would say yes to the house. It was _perfect._ It even had a small office near the living room. Dad and Elizabeth both would've appreciated _that_.

"Jess, what do you think?" Mom asked.

Did she _really_ have to ask?

"Mom, you have to say yes! This house is _perfect!_ It has everything we need!" I exclaimed. "Plus, it's on _Cherry Valley Road_. How obvious is that? It's a sign!"

Mom chuckled. "Be that as it may, I hope we can afford this. Let's not make any rash decisions."

"Oh, I'm sure this house is in your price range, Alice. I checked…$123,229. Don't worry."

Mom beamed. "Well…I guess in that case, we'll take it!"

* * *

Mom, Sharon and I had lunch in a restaurant called The Rosebud Café afterwards to celebrate buying a house. Sharon ate a salad with tofu, Mom had a turkey burger and I ate a junior club sandwich with fries.

"When we can we start moving in?" I asked, nibbling my fries.

"Well, we just have to call the bank regarding the mortgage and call the movers regarding our belongings," Mom said. "I'll have to call them today to give them the address of our new house…oh and we have to call the flatbed rental place regarding our car. Other than that, we could live there now if we wanted to. But we'll wait until we actually have furniture."

Mom sighed in contentment. "Everything is falling right into place," she said. "I am so glad I decided to take the walk of faith and move to Stoneybrook. I saw Uncle Charlie the other day and he actually remembered me! Well…a little. He remembered calling me Wonder, his old pet name for me."

Mom then frowned a little. "He only forgot my _real_ name so he keeps calling me Wonder. I don't know how he remembers me. If it's my voice or my looks but when he saw me after so long, he just _knew_ it was me somehow."

Mom instantly got a little teary-eyed. Sharon took her hand and squeezed it a little. "He looked so happy to see me, like I brightened up his whole _day._ It made me happy to see _him_ so happy."

Mom then smiled wistfully. "Stoneybrook hasn't really changed all that much from when I was a kid, always coming here to spend time with you, Aunt Rita and the rest of my family. I know my kids aren't exactly thrilled to move three thousand miles away here and I feel bad that Ned had to drop his law firm to move here but coming here was probably the best decision I ever made."

I bit my lip a little, feeling guilty of my brattiness. I knew how much family meant to Mom. Mom has always been giving, loving and kind. She always did so much for her family and sacrificed a _lot_ for us. She literally volunteered to be a caretaker for a sick family member because she wanted to, not because she had to.

And here I was being a brat because I didn't get the big picture. I wasn't exactly being the model daughter if I was getting into fights at school, getting suspended, grounded and being sulky. I needed to be more supportive even if I didn't entirely understand what Alzheimer's was. I thought back to what Elizabeth had told me before we moved to Stoneybrook: Mom needed help and it was time to step up and grow up. I rolled my eyes, chuckling to myself. Like always, my sister was always right. And in this case, she was.

 _It's time to_ _ **do**_ _better, Jessica,_ I thought.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

 **T** he next day, I actually felt a little bit better. Yes, I was still grounded and I still had an upcoming detention with Cokie on Saturday but I didn't feel cross or sulky. I remembered the vow I had made to myself yesterday to do better and that was what I was going to at least _try_ to do.

As usual, I got up that morning, completed my daily morning routine and went downstairs to join my family for breakfast.

"Good morning, everybody," I said cheerfully, sitting down at the table.

"Wow…you sound like somebody that hasn't been suspended from school and got grounded," Steven pointed out.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. I wasn't going to let my obnoxious big brother ruin my mood. Instead, I only shrugged. "I've realized I was wrong in my actions on Monday and have decided not to dwell on the past – but look to the future."

Elizabeth, Dawn, Mary Anne and Steven only stared at me like I had green skin or something.

"Um…who _are_ you and what have you done with my sister?" Elizabeth asked.

I gave my siblings and cousins a bright smile and shrugged again. "I'm just trying to see the bigger picture here, you guys. I'm done with being sulky. I realized Mom needs our support and we need to all be that so she can help Great-Uncle Charlie."

Mom looked astonished. She then gave me a watery smile. "That's really all I ever wanted. I'm so proud of you, sweetie." She then walked over to me and gave me a hug.

"Speaking of which, do you think we can visit Granny and Pop-Pop today? After school, maybe?" Dawn asked hopefully.

Sharon looked thoughtful. "I don't see why not. Richard and Ned will be busy with work but I think the rest of could…Alice, what do you think?"

"It's a good idea. I'm sure Aunt Rita and Uncle Charlie would love to see everybody. Jessica and I are going to be running errands today and then afterwards, we can go after we pick the kids up from school and I pick you up, Sharon."

Sharon nodded her agreement. "Sounds good to me! I need to finish up some paperwork before I forget to do it. Then I'll be going to work. Can you pick me up around 3:30?"

Mom nodded.

Afterwards, the six of us walked towards our rented minivan and got in, saying goodbye to Dad, Sharon and Richard.

"So what exactly are we going to be doing today, Mom?" I asked, buckling my seatbelt as we drove down Burnt Hill Road.

"Well, I have to visit the bank today. Then maybe the storage company where our belongings are. We should be moving into our new house in a few days…probably by next week sometime. And then I guess the grocery store – Sharon forgot to do the shopping so I'll be doing it. Then after we pick up the other kids and Sharon, we can go visit Uncle Charlie and Aunt Rita."

Meanwhile, Elizabeth was sitting in the far back of the minivan, chatting with Dawn and Mary Anne about her upcoming sitting job on Friday.

"What are Kristy's siblings like? Is there anything I should know?" Elizabeth asked, somewhat apprehensively.

"Well, overall, they're all good kids," Dawn informed her. "David Michael and Karen are both seven and Andrew's five. Kristy also has a little sister her family adopted from Vietnam named Emily – she's two but she's going to the play with her parents & grandmother so you won't have to worry about babysitting her."

"Oh," Was all Elizabeth said.

Mary Anne gave her an encouraging pat on the back. "I'm sure you'll do OK. For Kristy to literally hand the job over to you the way she did means she really likes you. But all of her siblings aren't _monsters_ or anything, if that's what you're wondering. They're all good kids. We all have a good rapport with all of our clients and their parents."

Elizabeth nodded. "Well, in that case, I'll do my very best. I'll make it my mission not to let any of you guys down. Kristy especially. She looks like she _kinda_ means business."

The three girls giggled.

I felt another pang of envy at how well my sister was able to get along so well with everyone _._ _Why couldn't I do that?_ Even though baby-sitting wasn't something I was interested in, it still hurt a little to feel left out of something. I only sighed inwardly.

* * *

My mom and I arrived at the bank after we had dropped my everyone off at school. I sat in a chair and waited for my mother to finish her boring business of talking to grownups about money and mortgage. To pass the time, I had brought my portable tape player and listened to Johnny Buck's _Greatest Hits_.

I must've dozed off waiting because Mom tapped my shoulder. I quickly got up and followed her out the door to our car.

"So what happened at the bank?" I asked.

"Our mortgage got approved so we'll able to move into our house pretty soon. Probably a lot sooner than we originally thought. But now we have to go visit the storage unit to make arrangements to have our stuff transported to the new house."

Mom sighed loudly. "I'll be so happy when we finally get settled in. Moving, especially across the country, is a _lot_."

When we arrived, Mom had me wait in the car. "This won't take too long. I'll be out in at least ten minutes tops."

So I sat and waited. _Waiting is so boring,_ I thought, tapping my finger against my leg. I noticed a medium-sized white envelope poking out of the visor on Mom's side of the car. Curiosity got the better of me so I quickly removed it.

I wondered what was inside.

When I opened it, a single photo fell out. I took a look. The photo was a family photo of my mom as a little kid with Sharon, who was also little. Next to them, were my aunts, Nancy and Laura and behind them, was my grandmother Marjorie and my Great-Aunt Rita with my grandpa and Great-Uncle Charlie. They were in a park, all of them standing in front of a huge tree The photo was labeled _Porter-Robertson family at Miller's Park._

Despite them both having different mothers, my grandmother and half-great-aunt looked a lot alike. They both had similar facial structures and they each had similar blonde hair. It was so crazy how stuff like genetics worked.

I quickly put the photo back. Family seemed to mean a whole lot to my mom and Sharon. An idea started to form in my mind. An idea so good, it gave me goosebumps.


End file.
